Have you always wanted to compose music but didn't know where to start? ChatGPT, a variant of the GPT-3 language model built by OpenAI and now all the rage, can help. In this blog post we'll explore how ChatGPT can be used to generate a NeoSoul chord progression and learn a little bit about how the AI works in the process.
NeoSoul, a subgenre of soul music that emerged in the 1990s, is known for its smooth, jazzy sound and emotional lyrics. Creating the perfect chord progression is crucial to capturing this mood, but it can be a daunting task for the beginning musician as it can involve complicated chords. This is where ChatGPT comes in. ChatGPT was trained on a dataset of human conversations and can generate human-like text, making it a useful tool for music composition.
In the following sections, we walk through the process of setting up and using ChatGPT to generate a NeoSoul chord progression. We've also provided an example progression and offered some tips and tricks for getting the best results. So if you're ready to try your hand at writing NeoSoul music, let's get started!
What is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is a variant of the GPT-3 language model developed by OpenAI. It is trained on a large dataset of human conversations and can generate human text when requested. This makes it a useful tool for a variety of uses, including music composition.
To use ChatGPT, you need to create an OpenAI account and subscribe to one of their plans. Once you've done that, you'll have access to the ChatGPT API, which you can use to send prompts and get responses from the model.
Configure ChatGPT
Follow these steps to configure ChatGPT:
- Go to the ChatGPT blog post on OpenAI:https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt/
- Click Try ChatGPT (or go directly tohttps://chat.openai.com/)
- Create an account and verify your account
- Test ChatGPT by sending a command prompt and see how it responds.
After setting up ChatGPT, you can start using it for music composition!
Using ChatGPT for music composition
Using ChatGPT to generate a NeoSoul chord progression is relatively easy. First, decide on the type of music and key for your progression. You can do this by giving ChatGPT a prompt like "Create a NeoSoul-style chord progression in Dm".
Here's what ChatGPT generated for me with this prompt:
Here is a neo soul styled chord progression in D minor Dm7 Gm7 Cmaj7 Fmaj7 You can play these chords in any order and repeat them to create a complete chord progression. You can also add additional chords like Am7 or Em7 to add more complexity and depth to the progression. Try different voices and chord inversions to create your own unique sound. Here is an example of how the progression can be played: Dm7 | Gm7 | Cmaj7 | Fmaj7 | Dm7 | Gm7 | Cmaj7 | Fmaj7 |:
I opted for a slightly different progression and asked ChatGPT what they thought, so I typed: "OK, I was playing Dm7Gm7 | Am7 | Cmaj7 Em7 | Fmaj7, do you like this?", and here's what I got:
It's hard for me to say whether or not I like a certain chord progression because I'm an artificial intelligence and I don't have personal preferences. However, I can say that the chord progression you provided is common in neo soul music and probably sounds good when played with the correct voicings and accompaniments. The addition of Am7 and Em7 chords adds some variety to the progression and can create a more complex and interesting sound. These chords add some tension and dissonance, which can add depth and emotion to the song. In general, the key to creating a successful chord progression is experimenting with different combinations and chord voicings and finding a balance between stability and tension. By adding a variety of chords and playing in the order they are played, you can create a unique and expressive progression.
This is generic text you get when it gets too subjective in many prompts like music generation (I tried poetry and got similar responses). You can also see some redundancy in how he talks about Am7 and Em7.
A great part is that you can refer to past requests/responses to shape future output, so I asked for a melody like this: "Can you write a melody over the chord progression I gave you?" and get the following:
Safe! Here's a simple melody you can play over the chord progression you provided: Dm7 Gm7 | Am7 | Cmaj7 Em7 | Fmaj7| D4 F4 | A4 C5 | E5 G5 | A5 F5 | This song uses notes from the D minor scale, which works well with the Dm7, Gm7 and Am7 chords in the progression. The C major seventh chord is a bit out of key, but the E and G notes in the melody still work well with it. The F major seventh chord brings the melody back to a minor key and the final A5 gives a sense of resolution. Of course, this is just one possible song and there are many other options you can explore. You can try improvising on the chord progression to find your own melody, or you can try writing a melody using different notes or phrases. The most important thing is to find a melody that sounds good to you and that goes well with the chord progression.
It might also be a good idea to give ChatGPT some context for the chord progression you are trying to create. In hindsight it would have been better. For example, you can give him information about the feel of the song or examples of other NeoSoul chord progressions for inspiration. You can tell it how long the chord progression should be, avoid chords or use chords.
Here are some tips for getting the best results with ChatGPT:
- Keep your instructions clear and concise. The more specific you are, the more targeted the response will be.
- Experiment with different chord combinations and styles. ChatGPT is capable of generating a wide range of chord progressions, so don't be afraid to try different approaches.
- Use ChatGPT as a starting point rather than relying entirely on it. While it can generate some great ideas, it's always a good idea to tweak and customize the progression to suit your needs.
As you can see, ChatGPT was able to produce a smooth, jazzy progression that suits the NeoSoul genre well. I was also able to use ChatGPT to generate a melody for this progression. While the generated melody provided some good starting points, I found that I had to improvise around it to get the desired result.
conclusions and thoughts
In summary, ChatGPT can be a useful tool for music composition, especially for generating chord progressions and song ideas. While capable of some creative ideas and inspiration, it's always a good idea to customize and tweak the progress to suit your needs.
As I mentioned in my example, I found that the generated chord progression and melody provided some good starting points, but I had to improvise around them to get the desired result. This underscores the importance of the human touch in musical composition, as ultimately it is the composer's creativity and artistic vision that shapes the final product.
ChatGPT can still be a lot of fun for composing music. I enjoyed creating a second part for my chord progression and asking ChatGPT what they think of my choices. This was a great way to see how AI could approach the songwriting process and get feedback on my own ideas.
Here's a link to a recording of the chords with some drums and bass (note that the second idea I wrote comes first and the chords come earlier in bar 9 which was the "Chorus". Overall it's only 16 bars):
https://soundcloud.com/brad-bush-3/chatgpt-chords-example
In short, ChatGPT can be a useful tool for music composition, but it's important to remember that it's just one tool in a composer's toolbox. The human touch is still a priority, and it's up to the composer to decide how best to integrate AI into their creative process.